XN000022-1984-05-28 — Page 2

MONDAY, MAY 28, 1984

STRONG UPSURGE OF EXPORTS

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THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR ROSE BY 50 PER CENT OR $20 814 MILLION OVER THE SIMILAR PERIOD LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES PUBLISHED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND

STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE EXPANSION COMPRISED A 47 PER CENT INCREASE OR $12 324 MILLION FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND A 55 PER CENT INCREASE OR $8 490 MILLION FOR RE-EXPORTS.

THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS 41 PER CENT OR $19 645 MILLION HIGHER, NARROWING THE VISIBLE TRADE GAP IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 1984 TO SEVEN PER CENT, FROM 13 PER CENT IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1983.

COMPARING THE 12-MONTH PERIOD TO APRIL 1984 WITH THE 12 MONTH- PERIOD TO APRIL 1983, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE

INCREASES IN VALUE WERE 37 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND 43 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS, MAKING AN INCREASE OF 39 PER CENT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS.

IMPORTS FOR THE PERIOD WERE UP 35 PER CENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS LAST MONTH TOTALLED $10 449 MILLION, UP 37 PER CENT OR $2 837 MILLION OVER THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES SHOW.

RE-EXPORTS ALSO INCREASED, BY 46 PER CENT OR $1 919 MILLION, TO $6 090 MILLION.

THESE RAISED TOTAL EXPORTS TO $16 539 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 40 PER CENT OR $4 756 MILLION OVER THE YEAR-EARLIER LEVEL.

IMPORTS REACHED $18 529 MILLION LAST MONTH, UP 37 PER CENT OR $4 996 MILLION OVER APRIL 1983, GIVING A VISIBLE TRADE DEFICIT OF $1 990 MILLION, COMPARED WITH $1 750 MILLION A YEAR EARLIER.

BUT THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT AS THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS INCREASED AT A FASTER RATE THAN THAT OF IMPORTS, THE VISIBLE TRADE GAP WAS 11 PER CENT IN APRIL 1984, DOWN FROM 13 PER CENT IN APRIL 1983.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE GIVES THE PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FIGURES FOR APRIL 1984:

/TRADE FIGURES